OWRB to review proposed rule for Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer

An unidentified man fishes at a stream fed by the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer. (Courtesy photo)

OKLAHOMA CITY – A proposed rule setting the maximum amount of water that can be taken from southeastern Oklahoma’s Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer will be reviewed by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board on Oct. 23.

The rule is a decade in the making and the end result of collaboration between advocacy groups, Native American tribes and state and federal agencies. It would allow only two-tenths of an acre-foot (about 64,000 gallons of water) per allocation, per year, said OWRB spokesman Brian Vance. Vance said the new rule would help manage the water of the aquifer and improve the Arbuckle-Simpson’s sustainability.

The Arbuckle-Simpson is a large, underground water source beneath portions of Murray, Pontotoc, Johnston, Garvin, Cole and Carter counties. The water source has been at the center of a debate over out-of-basin water transfers in Oklahoma for several years.

The aquifer also serves as the main source of water for the cities of Ada and Durant.

In fact, for Ada, the Arbuckle-Simpson is considered a sole-source groundwater basin, an Environmental Protection Agency designation that says the aquifer provides more than 50 percent of the city’s water and serves as the primary source of water.

On Monday, OWRB officials praised the agreement, saying the proposal was based on extensive research.

“We gathered lots of data and then held a pretty lengthy public hearing,” Vance said. “We took that data, incorporated the public comments and came up with a number that is part of a board order.”

Vance said the water board can accept the proposal, send the policy back to staff for additional work or develop its own number. State law currently limits the amount of water that can be taken from an unstudied aquifer to about 2 acre-feet (about 651,000 gallons) per allocation per year.

Because a national park is located on top of the aquifer, Vance said many officials were concerned by usage of the aquifer and the effect that use had on the park’s surface water.

“There are many unique considerations with the Arbuckle-Simpson,” he said. “It’s very important to cities and towns and many landowners. There are lots of concerns with the long-term sustainability of that aquifer.”

Amy Ford, president of the advocacy group Citizens for the Protection of the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer, said she was pleased by the final agreement.

“Science and data drove the number,” she said. “It was done the other way.”

Ford said her organization and others, including Native American tribes, municipal officials and many of the area’s landowners, had input into the agreement.

“It’s being done in a holistic approach,” she said. “Everyone involved understand the importance of the aquifer. Everyone had to share. We all understand that having that flow of water is vital to economic growth.”